**Guidance Whiskey | Nashville, Tennessee**

It was ‘Attack of the Yankee Whiskeys’ week on the channel.

We didn’t mention on the show the Guidance barrel aged project with Chicago’s Turner Haus Brewing. Too caught up in how good their 2yr, 80 proof whiskey is. The Tennessee based project led by Founder Jason Ridgel is all about focusing on the lack of black owned distillers in the country. His YouTube channel has commercials for the product with backgrounds ranging from meetups to horse back riding.

When you ask about tactical tasting notes the response is “it tastes like a celebration”. I’ll tell you it shouldn’t be as good as it is. It’s reminiscent a little of Evan Williams Single Barrel. It’s a whiskey that is small but not watered down.

It really has changed our conversation about what a 2yr product is supposed to be, or even a whiskey produced in Iowa for that matter. Jason is a Tennessee State grad and understands his calling by making it known the importance of leaving the door open for other black ventures with any traction gained from his progress with Guidance.

Nothing but respect for this crew…the whiskey is fucking good too.

It’s a true recipe collaboration, not just a contractor or a sourcing of stocks. Jason and his Iowa distilling partner created the recipe based on Guidance specs.

So good that Chalonda got back on the wagon and made her triumphant return crafting Cocktail of the Week for the first time in like six weeks. It was The Beer Hunter, Michael Jackson’s birthday so we celebrated by opening Barrel Proof Ragtime Rye, Garrett Oliver Single Barrel.

Most of NY Distilling Co’s whiskey is produced upstate so New York State law designates them eligible for a tasting room. So in Williamsburg they produce craft cocktails and give tours in the same neighborhood as the legendary brewmaster’s Brooklyn Brewery location. The Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling is a non profit that advances technical education for black folks and other minorities “people of color” is the term they use.

At some point we need to discuss how POC includes minority groups that don’t like black people, but that’s not a dive for this channel. New York Distilling donated 35K to Garret Oliver’s foundation initiatives.

Garrett is a cool customer a dapper dresser and a collaborator of the highest order. We featured the Four Roses Small Batch Black Ops release in port because we were huge fans of is. I had a nerd out moment when he signed a copy of my Oxford Companion to Beer, a book that he published back in 2001. The only time was overly interested in a live taping of the Good Beer Hunting Podcast is when Garret made a live appearance at the Logan Square studio.

It made Chalonda’s whole life when he complimented her at her Afro Beer Chick booth, it’s a story she relives every time he comes up in conversation… I mean we like his style.

Both of these entires were unexpectedly fantastic in their own way. The Ragtime might be my second favorite rye experience of the year behind Thomas H. Handy. Just the right amount of spice, lemon and bitter orange with a wonderful salted caramel sweetness. Understands and subtle is a good description for Guidance. That crew makes me rethink the things I thought to look for in whiskey, I’m beyond excited about that .

—The Neat Pour

Other Notes

- Listen Episode 32 of The Neat Pour Podcast

-Order The Garret Oliver Barrel Selection

-Order Guidance Small Batch Whiskey

**Brooklyn Brewery Black Ops + Garrett Oliver NY Distilling Ragtime Rye Single Barrel**

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